Bath hotels

This is one of the best luxury hotels in Bath for a romantic getaway. Set on the city’s most striking street, the Royal Crescent, you couldn’t dream of a better location for making the most of Bath’s famed Georgian architecture.

Spread across two handsome townhouses, The Royal Crescent Hotel & Spa’s interiors are just as impressive as its exterior. The 45 individually designed guestrooms are all beautifully done, featuring period details such as ceiling roses. If you’re celebrating something special, I recommend splashing out on one of the Master Suites – my favourite comes with a pink four-poster bed.

One of the hotel’s other main draws is its excellent spa, where you’ll find a range of spoiling treatments, a heated relaxation pool, a vitality pool with massage jets, a sauna and a steam room, as well as a fully equipped fitness centre.

If you’re looking for the coolest fancy hotels in Bath, No15 by GuestHouse might just be the best. Set on the city’s grandest Georgian street, this is one of the best hotels in Bath for location – the famed Pulteney Bridge is just a few minutes’ walk away, while the Roman Baths can be reached in less than 10 minutes.

No15 by GuestHouse is known for its quirky interiors, which makes it feel a lot hipper than some of the more formal hotels in the city. I love the doll houses in the rooms, where the tea things are stashed, and the modern art on the walls.

The 36 guestrooms come in a range of sizes and styles – the smallest are up in the attic while the biggest feature large sash windows and chandeliers. There’s also an on-site restaurant that serves breakfast and dinner and a smart spa in the basement.

For those keen to enjoy Bath’s healing waters without having to battle hordes of tourists, this is one of the best hotels in Bath. The Gainsborough Bath Spa is the only hotel to have access to Bath’s thermal waters, which can be enjoyed in the incredible Spa Village.

There you can lounge in the hotel’s Bath House, complete with impressive stone columns leading into the main thermal bath. After your soak, book in for the one of the decadent spa treatments – my top pick is the Roman Renewal, where a salt, lime and ginger scrub is used to soften the skin before you’re treated to a massage.

Top tip: If you want even more privacy while enjoying those waters, book one of the Bath Spa rooms, which have direct access to the thermal waters straight from the in-room rolltop bath.

I love an independently run hotel and The Queensberry Hotel is one of the best in Bath. Located in the city’s artisan quarter, this property is full of character, from the boldly patterned wallpaper in the guestrooms and common areas to the eye-catching light fixtures dotted throughout.

All of the 29 guestrooms are different so it’s worth calling ahead to discuss what you’re after before booking. My favourites are the ones at the front, which have large Georgian windows overlooking the street, while the suites come with fireplaces and twinkling chandeliers.

The Queensberry Hotel is home to the only Michelin-starred restaurant in the city, The Olive Tree, making this one of the best hotels in Bath for foodies. Come to enjoy delicious plates of modern British cooking via the tasting menu – I still dream about the Cornbury Park fallow deer with beetroot and pink pepper.

If you want the feeling of staying in a country house hotel while still being in the heart of the city, this is one of the best hotels in Bath to go for. The Bath Priory lies just to the southwest of Bath’s centre, not far from the Royal Crescent, but it feels like you’re in the countryside.

That’s thanks in large part to the hotel’s beautiful gardens, which feature ancient trees and a charming sunken pond. I love basking in the sun here when the weather’s good. When it’s not, you can retreat to the Garden Spa, which is run by French brand L’Occitane (the only one in the UK). There you’ll find a black-tiled indoor pool as well as a seasonal outdoor one.

Rooms are classically decorated, and some on the ground floor are dog-friendly. The hotel’s cosy restaurant is a great spot for a romantic dinner.

This city isn’t exactly known for its affordable properties, but the YHA Bath is one of the best hotels in Bath for those travelling on a budget. The youth hostel recently underwent a multi-million-pound renovation to help the interiors live up to the impressive honey-coloured Victorian exterior.

The most affordable options here are the shared bunk bed rooms, but there are also private en-suite rooms. The rooms are basic but clean with striking YHA lime green bedding and views over the rolling hills.

There’s a relaxed café and bar on-site, as well as a simple restaurant, and a well-stocked kitchen where you can cook your own meals – ideal if you’re travelling as a family. There’s also a self-service breakfast where you can fill up with a full English before heading out to explore the city.

For a truly central stay with sublime rooms and service, Eight is hard to beat. This is one of the best hotels in Bath for those who want to be able to walk to all the local sights in record time – the Roman Baths are only a minute’s walk away with the city’s main shopping area just a few steps further.

Spread across two townhouses, the hotel originally had just 8 guestrooms – hence the name – and now boasts 20, all decorated in a chic neutral colour palette with pops of colour in cushions and green tiles in the bathrooms. My favourites are the ones in the newer townhouse, which are more spacious with higher ceilings.

There is a great breakfast and a historic bar and lounge that makes the most of its medieval past with stone staircases and dramatic fireplaces.

Travellers looking for a luxe home-away-from-home vibe should hotfoot it to Brindleys. The upmarket B&B is one of the best hotels in Bath for those who love cosy interiors, with all the rooms in this smart Victorian terraced house equally welcoming.

My top pick of the 6 pretty guestrooms is No.3, which has a lovely bay window and a curved, French-style white bed, but you can’t go wrong with any of them. All come with crisp white linens on the beds, goose down duvets and pillows and modern en-suite bathrooms with high pressure showers.

Make sure you stick around for the excellent breakfast, which is served in a charming Provencal-inspired room, complete with dainty china, pots of fresh flowers and starched white tablecloths. You can help yourself to fresh fruit, yogurt, cereals and pastry, while eggs and full English breakfasts with locally sourced sausages and bacon are cooked to order.

Hotel Indigo is one of the largest hotels in Bath, with 166 guestrooms. This is one of the best hotels in Bath for a high-end property with plenty of choice – there are 5 different room designs to choose from, all of which reflect the Grade I-listed building’s history.

As a writer, I fell in love with the Literary Hideaway rooms, which come with writer’s desks and walls of novels by Bath’s most famous authors. Other categories include Romance & Mischief, which have playing card motifs, and Vault rooms – 12 suites built into the 18th-century vaults.

Fitness lovers will appreciate the private gym, which features the same honey-stone walls as found in the vault. Work up a sweat there before indulging in the hotel’s fine dining spot, The Elder, where you can feast on a 7-course meal that showcases the best of wild British food.

Another B&B guaranteed to knock your socks off, Dukes is one of the best hotels in Bath for a boutique stay. The exceptional service is what keeps guests coming back again and again, with the friendly owners Carole and Christopher on hand to dish out local sightseeing tips.

You’ll definitely be wanting those, as Dukes is in a prime spot for seeing the best that Bath has to offer. The hotel is a short walk from Pulteney Bridge and a similarly quick stroll in the other direction to The Holburne Museum, Bath’s finest art gallery.

Set across two Grade I-listed 18th-century townhouses, the B&B’s interiors pay homage to the Georgian era. I love the period portraits and crystal chandelier in the reception/living room, while the 17 guestrooms have lovely high ceilings, long sash windows and patterned wallpaper.